E1M5: The Serpent Pens (The Wayfarer)

E1M5: The Serpent Pens is the fifth map of The Wayfarer. It was designed by Not Jabba and uses the music track "The Hordes of Caoimhin" by Varis Alpha.

Green key
Head forward to a room with an Ethereal Crossbow and Dragon Claw, which are guarded by nitrogolems (plus fire gargoyles and sabreclaws on bringest them oneth (BTO) skill level or higher), then leave through the east or west doorways to enter a large hall overlooked by undead warriors and more nitrogolems. Go to the north-west corner of this hall to find some sandy steps leading up to two doorways, then go through either doorway and head north-east past some lightning barriers; you will pass a Sigil of Power but it should be left alone for now. At the east end of this room are two gray doors, which will open when approached to reveal weredragons and one or more iron liches, so go back to the Sigil and use it to help you beat them. Head through the gray doors and press the face switch in this room to deactivate the lightning barriers, then pass through them to find a large teleporter at the top of some steps.

The teleporter will send you to a pen in the north-east corner of the map, which holds one or two lesser chaos serpents, along with nitrogolems that teleport in. Head north-east to an area with six gray columns and press the red trident switch on the middle column on the south side, which will open the doors ahead and allow you to reach the green key. Taking the key will allow various monsters to teleport in, including two iron liches and a serpent keeper; taking the Sigil of Power directly behind the green key is recommended.

Yellow and blue keys and exit
Go back outside (where disciples of D'Sparil have appeared on BTO or higher), then return to where you teleported in and open the green key door here to enter a hall with a Mystic Urn. Two doors on the east and west sides of the hall will open to reveal a Bag of Holding and an Enchanted Shield - go inside the chamber with the Shield and press the button here to lower a wall to the south, then head through that wall to a large room which holds one to three lesser serpents along with nitrogolems and undead warriors that teleport in behind you. Push the red trident switch at the south end of the room, then run west through a barred window that opens to find yourself overlooking the starting hall. Walk north to a button and push it to lower a pillar in front of you holding the yellow key, as well as two more pillars further west holding an Inferno Orb and a Sigil of Power; taking any of these items will lower the surrounding columns and release nitrogolems, as well as bringing in iron liches, serpent keepers, disciples and ophidians.

Fight your way to the north-west corner of the hall and climb the stairs here to reach a yellow key door, then go through it to drop into a seemingly unguarded room with a button; pressing the button will release one or two lesser serpents and serpent keepers around you, then lower two pillars holding the blue key and a Sigil of Power followed by the east and west walls. Stepping past either set of walls will open four monster closets containing sabreclaws and weredragons, and inside the south-east closet is a red trident switch that will open the north door and allow you to leave. Go through the door to return to the lightning barrier area then head north-east to a blue key door, go through it and head down to a square hallway, then head round to the north-west corner to find a trident switch. Pressing the switch will open two overhead closets containing ophidians, as well as a chamber with one or two maulotaurs and four more trident switches; walking through the chamber will cause some nitrogolems (plus disciples on BTO or higher) to teleport in. Press all four switches to open the gate behind the initial switch, then go through to find the exit teleporter to.

Secret exit
Follow the directions for secrets #4, #7 and #8 below to find the secret exit to. You can also use the Wings of Wrath from secret #5 to get there and bypass the puzzle room, but this may prevent you getting 100% kills.

Secrets

 * 1) Leave the starting hall and use the unlit torch to your left, which opens the door west of the starting point. This room contains a Might of Tysonius. (sector 1976)
 * 2) In the south-west hall, head all the way to the north-west end and use the ring on the wall to lower the wall to the west. This area has Timebombs of the Ancients, Lesser Runes and a Morph Ovum. (sector 2023)
 * 3) In the hall at the east end with the Mystic Urn, head east to the Enchanted Shield and use the north wall to find a teleporter. The area you come to has a Map Scroll and another Mystic Urn. (sector 805)
 * 4) In the central room, when the side walls open, head to the west side and use the bookshelf behind the south-west column. Head north and through the door after opening it and open the door to the east. This leads to a puzzle room with Timebombs. (sector 3635)
 * 5) Return to the hall that has the entrance to secret #4 and head north. Use the west wall for the floor to lower. Obtain a Wings of Wrath here. (sector 750)
 * 6) Return to the north-west end of the map and use the Wings of Wrath to fly up and west to a Tome of Power. (sector 4696)
 * 7) In secret #4, press both of the switches at the south wall, which removes the bars and reveals platforms that lead to a wall. This wall opens and reveals a puzzle room. Your first goal here is to get to the switch in the north-west corner, which means raising the platforms there so that you can climb in the middle and head north-west across them. Return to secret #4 and press the switches on the east wall. You need to press the uppermost switch once, the middle switch twice, and the lowermost switch three times. Return to the puzzle room and you can get the Torch in the north-east corner and the switch there. This switch raises the water level. Return to secret #4, then use the right switch on the north wall (which will raise the center platform in the puzzle room). On the east wall, press the uppermost switch three times, the middle switch twice, and the lowermost switch once. Head back to the puzzle room and you can use the platforms to get to the middle and the switch at the south end. Once you use that switch, the lightning barrier in secret #4 will be gone, and you can enter the teleporter. This takes you to a Mystic Urn in the south-east area of the map. (sector 446)
 * 8) Entering secret #6 opens closets around you containing iron liches to the east, along with sabreclaws and undead warriors to the west and south. Go inside the north and south closets that contained liches to find red trident switches, then push both switches to raise a lift inside the middle closet. Ride the lift up to reach the secret exit. (sector 4079)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The data was last verified in its entirety on January 6, 2022.

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: